Both programs will list all the processes running on your computer, as well as other statistics. Using these utilities requires some skill and daring in that they allow you to kill and remove executable files from your system. Obviously, if you remove the wrong one, you can be in deep doo doo.

Use Process Explorer first in that I think it's a little easier to navigate. Start it up and look over all the processes. Check out the CPU usage and the vendor associated with each process. Generally those from Microsoft and known installed software are OK, but anything else with a high CPU usage and/or an unidentifiable source should be considered suspect. If you find a process (or processes) that has some possible relationship to what you read about _PTAWIA, highlight it and kill it. Then shut down your computer and see if you get the error message again. If not, you probably identified the invader, but most likely it will start up again at the next boot.

If you think you identified the culprit, start up again, kill the process(es), and then run your security software. That should clear it out for you automatically. If that doesn't work for some reason, you may have to do further research regarding how to remove the infection manually. That generally involves removing executable files and editing the registry. Again, some heavy stuff if you mess things up. So, before you go modifying system files, make a restore point. Should you have to use it, you will restore the bug of course. But, at least you will not have killed your operating system and can investigate further.

And, by the way, when your system is finally clean, and all your security software runs without crashing, make a restore point for that session. It may come in handy in the future.

Inside every older person is a younger person wondering what the hell happened.

Don't know if you have followed up on this recently, but I did another Google search and came up with <a href="http://www.techsupportforum.com/microsoft-support/internet-explorer-forum/127183-ptawia-resolved.html">this from the Microsoft Tech Support Website.</a>